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They literally plug you in, like the Matrix (Picture: Surge/Metro.co.uk)

EMS, or Electric Muscle Stimulation, sounds pretty scary. You get covered in wires, hooked up to a machine, they plug you in and zap your muscles… sure, sign us up.

But once you get used to the unsettling sensation of electric currents contracting your muscles involuntarily, it actually feels kind of good. In a slightly sadistic kind of way.

The trainers say it can be more effective for muscle conditioning and strengthening than going to the gym.

In a normal gym session you generally only work one or two muscle groups at a time – EMS targets all eight, at the same time. I tried it and can confirm that working all eight muscle groups, simultaneously, is hard.

The suit made me feel pretty badass to be honest (Picture: Surge/Metro.co.uk)

The whole thing takes 20 minutes, but is apparently just as effective as an hour of strength-work in the gym. Which is ideal if you struggle to fit a workout into your day.

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It’s basically cheating. The machine does the majority of the work for you, and it accelerates your progress to give you results faster.

How does EMS work?

EMS training is an active workout that utilises technology to amplify the signals that the brain sends to the muscles to make them contract.

It activates muscle fibres you can’t even feel or control in conjunction with the exercises, making the tissue work harder and more effectively. This means your workout will be more intense.

A form of EMS is commonly used by elite athletes to add another layer to their training regime, and the medical industry has used EMS for years to aid muscle rehabilitation after injury.

Once you’re hooked up in your suit, which has been inexplicably doused with warm water, you complete a short interval session with simple, gentle moves such as squats, lunges, and jogging on the spot.

But when the electricity is turned up, none of the moves feel simple or gentle.

(Picture: Surge/Metro.co.uk)

Waiting for the first shock to kick in I was nervous as hell – I braced a lightning bolt – but it starts more like a gentle tickle in your muscles.

Your trainer works with you before the workout begins to find your perfect level of electricity – so what starts as a tickle ends as a pretty violent jolt, but you ease up to it so it isn’t too jarring.

The aim is to keep your muscles at a point where it feels like they’re pushing against a weight. So the electrodes around your glutes and thighs should make it feel as though you’re permanently in a deep squat – that delicious, trembly feeling that tells you you’re working hard.

The benefits of EMS

Benefits of EMS training

Improved muscular definition and weight loss

Increased overall strength and power output

Enhanced cardiovascular efficiency

Effective rehabilitation, especially for lower back issues

But the best thing is you really don’t have to work that hard. Just tense your muscles against the wave of electricity, and job done. It is tough, and it does feel weird – but you won’t be exhausted and drenched in sweat like you would after leg day in the gym.

(Picture: Surge/Metro.co.uk)

Hours later, and I’m really starting to feel it. Whereas in the gym I tend to concentrate on my legs and bum – my strongest muscles by miles – EMS forced me to work on everything. My poor triceps have never experienced anything like it.

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The skeptic in me couldn’t help but scoff at the idea of a 20-minute workout, how much could you possibly achieve in such a short space of time?

But the next morning, as I hobbled up the stairs to my office, my glutes told me exactly how much I had achieved.

It’s recommended that you don’t take part in EMS training more than once a week – so really it works to complement other kinds of training.

As tough as it is on your muscles, there isn’t that much of an elevation in heart rate, so in order to improve fitness levels and endurance you would probably want to keep up with running, spinning or HIIT classes alongside it.

And you really want to mention if you have any underlying injuries, even if they’re basically healed and don’t cause you much drama.

I had shoulder surgery for a long-term injury around seven months ago, I’ve completed my physio and think of myself as practically back to normal. But when I strapped on the suit and pumped a ton of electricity through my muscles, my dodgy shoulder didn’t like it one bit.

There are plenty of adjustments your trainer can make to accommodate for injuries, so make sure you shout up before you get plugged in.

(Picture: Surge/Metro.co.uk)

It’s not cheap. Which is understandable when you think about how much high-tech kit is needed.

If you buy a year subscription, it works out at £39 per session, but if you buy a month package the classes jump to £55 per session, with four sessions to use over a six-week period.

What you’re getting is essentially a personal-training session – as most classes are one-on-one. So if you think about the cost of most PTs, the comparative price isn’t completely off the scale. But it’s a serious commitment.

If you’re strapped for time, but not strapped for cash, then this could be the perfect workout for you. Squeezing in a lunchtime EMS session once-a-week could speed up your progress in the gym and help you get where you want to be, faster.